Dark Brotherhood
The Dark Brotherhood is one of the most infamous and feared assassin guilds on Tamriel. History Second Era The Dark Brotherhood originally sprung from a religious order called the Morag Tong. The Morag Tong at the time worshiped Daedric Prince Mephala, who encouraged them to commit ritual murders. The order had no leader at the time, but everything changed with coming of the Night Mother. The Night Mother was supposed lover and partner of Sithis. She was the source of doctrines dictating how the Morag Tong, and eventually the Dark Brotherhood, worked as a group. Some believed Mephala was the Night Mother, representing herself as an old Dunmer woman. At some point after 2E 324, the last living Night Mother resided in Bravil. She gave birth to five children, who she sacrificed so that their souls could go to the Dread Father. The act was so cruel, the people killed her and burned her house to the ground. Around thirty years later, an unknown man started to hear voices in his head, coming from the Night Mother herself, and he would become the first Listener. Third Era During the Warp in the West, the Dark Brotherhood was widely spread across Tamriel. Their presence was mostly ignored. During this time, the Dark Brotherhood still worshiped Daedric Prince Mephala, instead of Sithis, perhaps due to theirs recent split from the Morag Tong. During late Third Era, Morrowind's the Dark Brotherhood's headquarters was near the city of Mournhold. An Imperial woman called Severa Magia, called herself the Night Mother. She lived in Ald Sotha. Oblivion Crisis During the Oblivion Crisis, the Dark Brotherhood was widely known across Cyrodiil and Tamriel. Their headquarters in Cyrodiil was in Cheydinhal. During this time, their leader, the wood elf Listener called Ungolim, lived in city of Bravil. He heard the voice of the Night Mother, and from her, received assassination contracts. Each night he would visit the statue of the Lucky Lady, unknown to all but him, and select members of the Black Hand, to fulfill the contracts. The statue of the Lucky Lady was actually a entrance to Night Mother's crypt. Fourth Era Since the Oblivion Crisis, the Dark Brotherhood was struggling for survival. They lost almost all influence across Tamriel, and were forced to do petty murders in Skyrim. On the 27th of Sun's Height, 4E 188, the city of Wayrest was lost to corsairs. It's Dark Brotherhood sanctuary was raided and destroyed by them. No one survived. The Black Hand ordered the Corinthe Sanctuary to be closed, and moved it's members to Cheydinhal Sanctuary in Cyrodiil. In the same year, the situation in Bravil grew ever more threatening. The city was falling apart, due to the war between the two biggest skooma traffickers. The statue of Lucky Lady was destroyed and Alisanne Dupre, the Listener, left her private residence to guard the Night Mother's Crypt. Rasha, the Speaker, sent Garnag and Adronica, to aid crypt's defenses, but on the 21st of Sun's Dusk, Garnag returned alone with the stone coffin of the Night Mother. The crypt was raided, Alisanne being burned alive and Adronica cut to pieces. On the 4th of Evening Star in 4E 189, Rasha declared himself to be Listener, claiming the Night Mother had spoke to him. He couldn't name the Binding Words, so Cicero killed him. By the 4E 190, there were only three members of the Dark Brotherhood, Cicero, Garnag and Pontius. A year later, Garnag and Pontius were killed, leaving Cicero the last alive member of the Dark Brotherhood.